Dear Diary
by Ruphira
Summary: A twist on the classic diary tale...what if Molly chanced upon the diaries' secret and the three different lives she has been leading unaware since moving to Castanet? We can only live and love once...right?
1. Days in the Life

**A/N: Hello…so, this was just a bit of a crazy idea I had. The idea is that the three save files on the Wii are like three different scenarios that the main character becomes aware of. So this is just sort of a preview to it, as I'm not sure if I'll continue with it or not.**

**Anyway…I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon! D:**

˙·_٠__•● _Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•_٠_·˙

Molly smiled in tired relief as the soft lights of her home came into view over the crest of the hill. It was after dark and had been a long day. Passing the shipping bin, she emptied her rucksack inside and continued up into her home to let herself in.

Gill glanced up as she came in with a loud and theatrical sigh. "You're back! Good, it was starting to get late."

She grinned slyly. "Aw, Gilly, were you worried about me?" She dropped her bag beside the door and pulled her fall jacket off.

Gill yawned nonchalantly. "In case you were wondering, dinner without you was a huge failure."

Molly walked up to him and hugged him around the neck. "You tried to cook? What would you do without me?"

"Starve."

"Probably." She paused, wrinkling her nose. "What's that…smell?"

"Dinner. Don't worry, I made enough for you too."

"Oh, um, I don't really think I…"

"But I threw it out. It sucked."

She laughed and squeezed him tighter. "Good, because I picked something up at the Inn. That is, if you have room for it after your oh-so-filling dinner….."

Instantly he was sitting at the table again. "Yes! Definitely! Please! Anything!"

After dinner, Gill cleared the table and Molly snuggled down in her favourite armchair with her lime green diary. "What are we going to use that extra room you ordered the other day for?" Gill called over his shoulder. Molly blushed a little.

"Oh, um, I was thinking you might like it for your study…"

"Right," Gill called back, a smile in his voice. Molly cleared her throat and finished her entry in her journal with _I'm thinking Gill might be ready for kids soon! 3_

He switched the lights off in the kitchen. "Lights out, hon. You need to get some rest."

"Yeah, you're right," she yawned, tucking her diary away in the drawer. Stretching, she pulled off her slippers and clambered into bed. "G'night, Gill!"

"Goodnight, Molly. I love you."

"Love you more!"

"No, I—" She kicked him under the covers.

"I'm always right, remember?"

Gill snorted softly. "Not this time."

"WhatEVER."

He hit her with a pillow. "Go to sleep!"

She snuggled down with a grin. "Okay, okay, you pillow Nazi. Sleep tight!"

"Sweet dreams, I love you."

"….Love you more."

Gill sighed softly. After she had fallen asleep, he murmured, "And you're still wrong."

˙·_٠__•● _Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•_٠_·˙

"UMPH!" Molly groaned in mild pain, shielding her eyes with her arm. "Guys! Stop—stop jumping around, you landed on me again!"

Kateri squealed with laughter and bounced over her mother. "Wake up, Mommy! Wake uuupppp!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ash added, tugging on her sleeve. "It's like SIX O'CLOCK!"

Molly gasped. "OH NO! YOU ONLY HAVE THREE HOURS TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL!"

Ash grinned and pulled on her hand. "Come oooonnnn! I might if you NEVER GET UP."

She laughed and made a show of rolling out of bed onto the floor. "MOMMY!" squealed Kateri.

"Did your mother fall on the floor again?" Jin yelled from the kitchen. "Does the bacon smell THAT bad?"

"NO, Daddy!" Kateri giggled.

"YES, it does! She's lying," Molly argued jokingly. The doctor grinned and flipped a pancake.

"I'd tell you to make breakfast then, but there'd be one problem…we'd all starve to death by the time you get up."

"Oh!" Molly mocked offense and dragged herself to the table. "Soooorry. Guess we'll just have to put up with yours."

"Guess so." Jin slid the plates onto the table and checked his watch. "Actually, you didn't do too badly today."

Ash and Kateri inhaled their breakfast and ran screaming out of the room. "I'm going to get ready for school too!" the little girl hollered as she raced up the stairs.

Jin rolled his eyes with a grin. "Someone's a little confused."

"She takes after her dad," Molly said teasingly.

"If only people knew the things I have to put up with in my home life," he replied with a wry smile before continuing. "I kind of feel sorry for Gill when she enrolls…can you imagine how hyper she'll be in the classroom?"

"I know," Molly nodded. "The scary thing is, it's not too far in the future. They grow up so fast…"

Ash came roaring into the kitchen before they could get sentimental. "I'm ready!" he declared. "I dressed myself, Mommy."

She eyed his orange-and-purple matching job and cringed internally. "I'm proud of you, baby!"

Jin cleared the table and ruffled his son's hair. "Uh, yep. You're certainly making a statement." Molly balled up a napkin and tossed it at the back of her husband's head. "Hey!"

She stood up and headed towards the door. "WELL, I'm going to go tend to the animals now. I'll be back in time to walk Ash to school, 'kay?"

"Alright, I'll probably be at the clinic by then. Have a good day, Molly. I love you."

"Love you more!" she tossed back, and quickly shut the door behind her before he could argue. Through the closed door she could faintly hear Ash say "Ewww, you're not going to kiss are you?"

˙·_٠__•● _Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•_٠_·˙

Molly rolled over and slammed her hand down on the old-fashioned alarm clock to silence it. Groaning, she rubbed her bleary eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "Time to get up, Finn…"

The sprite nestled deeper into the pillow and didn't reply. She hauled herself out from under the covers and stumbled over to the kitchen, where she stuck yesterday's toast in the microwave.

"That might turn out badly," Finn's muffled voice advised.

Wandering over to the wardrobe, Molly tugged her pajamas off and grabbed a random outfit from the messy pile, as well as a scarf on second thought. The microwave beeped and she headed back, pulling her shirt on and grabbing a plate. She offered a piece of limp overcooked toast to Finn. "Breakfast?"

Finn plugged his nose and ate it. Molly didn't notice. "Kaaayyy…time to go outside."

"WAIT!" Finn flew over to her shoulder and tugged gently on her ear lobe. "Aren't you forgetting a certain something for a certain someone?"

Molly blinked. "Oh, oh! Right. Thanks, Finn!" She hurried back to the chest beside her bed and grabbed the Fugue Mushroom. "I can't believe I almost forgot this."

"Again," Finn added under his breath.

She stepped outside into the cold winter sunlight and secured the scarf around her neck. "You don't think he'll think I'm weird or anything for going into the forest every single day to bring him his favourite mushroom…do you?"

"Pfft! Not at all. Why would he?"

Molly cringed and buried her face in her scarf. "I just can't stand seeing him so alone!..."

The sprite patted her cheek reassuringly. "Don't sweat it! _I _think he likes you. Secretly."

"What about him _isn't _secret?" she asked in annoyance.

**END PREVIEW**

˙·_٠__•● _Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•_٠_·˙

**A/N: Sooo…yeah, probably kind of different, huh? And just to clear up any confusion: Molly is NOT cheating on any of these men; these are like the different save files/games, her different lives. It's just sort of setting stuff up :O**

**And if you don't mind letting me know what you thought, I'd be much obliged! ^_^ **


	2. The Wizard's Pen

**A/N: Okay, here's the second chapter! I hope you all like it ^_^ I know it's a little weird, but hey! :3**

**And just FYI: the **˙·_٠__•● _Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•_٠_·˙ **symbol usually means a time lapse, but in this story it indicates a switch between "lives", or "save files", or whatever you wanna call them. Hopefully I'll be able to make things clearer in the future, but for now, please bear with me! Thanks! **

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING.**

˙·_٠__•● _Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•_٠_·˙

"Heyheyhey! It's almost 6! Rise and shine!" Gill shook her shoulders from the side of the bed. Molly grumbled something and buried her head under a pillow. Her husband frowned and clambered up onto the mattress, where he bounced up and down beside her.

"You're going to hit your head on the ceiling," Molly mumbled, her voice smothered by the pillow.

"You leave me no choice," Gill declared. He stepped off the bed and wandered off to the kitchen. Molly heard running water.

"I'M UP, I'M UP!" she yelled, leaping out of bed. "Nobody needs to dump any water on me!"

"Oh, good," Gill replied, grinning, as he took a long drink out of the glass he'd poured. Molly rolled her eyes and changed into work clothes as he popped some bread into the toaster. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Well," she said archly, "aren't you going to make me lunch?"

Gill sighed exaggeratedly. "Oh, _fine_. The life of a domestic husband…"

"Toil and drudgery," Molly giggled as she laced up her boots. "You poor dear." The toast popped, Gill quickly buttered it, and stuck it in her mouth. "Fankoo!"

"You're welcome," he replied cheerfully. "And here's your lunch, love. Have a good day."

"I will!" Molly stepped up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "You too! Catch ya around town today, hon."

"Yup, I'll probably be down at the town office doing incredibly important stuff all day. Bye!" Molly walked out the door and grinned back at her husband, standing in the doorway in a housecoat and fluffy slippers. "Oh, Goddess, this is so backwards," he grumbled, shutting the door and wandering off to change.

˙·_٠__•● _Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•_٠_·˙

"Come onnnn," whined Finn. "Mollllyyyy…you've been standing out here for _ever_…."

Nervously, the farmer wrung her hands and fingered the fugue mushroom in her pocket. "Oh, I can't! I just can't!" She turned away from the wizard's door and started running down the stairs. Finn fluttered after her.

"Molly! No, Molly…" Finn sighed and alighted on her shoulder. She plopped down on a stair and rested her head in her hands, and he mimicked her position. "Molly, what's so scary about giving him a gift? What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid he'll laugh at me, or think I'm weird, or even just ask me point-blank why I'm giving him stuff. Because honestly, _I _don't even know why."

Finn stroked her hair. "Oh, come on now…I don't think he'd ever think you're weird," he told her reassuringly. "Now…just…pick yourself up and march right over to his house, barge in, and tell him you have a gift for him!"

Molly stared at the sprite. "Why would I do that when I can just hand it over to him?"

Finn shrugged. "Then why don't you just do that?"

"Maybe I will!" The farmer stood up, trotted back up the stairs, and knocked boldly on the wizard's door.

"Come in… Molly…" Wizard called from inside. She squeaked quietly in excitement and went inside.

He was seated at his desk as always, poring over a dusty old tome. He didn't turn to look at her as she came in and wiped her boots on the mat. "It's, uh, snowing," she told him brightly.

"I'm…aware…" he said quietly.

"Right," Molly said. "Um…I brought you something. Uh—here." She quickly placed the fugue mushroom on the table beside him and stepped back, smiling hopefully and wringing her hands.

Wizard glanced briefly at it, and a smile brushed his lips. "This is….very thoughtful. I…appreciate it…thank you…"

"You're welcome!" she chirped. "I thought about bringing you coffee, because of the weather and everything, and who doesn't like a nice hot drink in the winter, you know? But—the Inn was closed yesterday, and all my coffee beans from earlier in the year got spilled all over the barn floor and I couldn't clean them up in time and besides my cows started eating them—so—I just ran into the forest and I found the mushroom! Well, actually, I had to look really hard because they're so hard to find—but—"

Wizard stood up and placed a hand lightly on her arm, and she instantly stopped rambling. Her breath caught in her throat as their eyes met. "…Thank you," he said again.

Molly ducked her head down to hide her blush. "You're welcome," she murmured. The wizard tilted his head at her slightly, as if inspecting a fascinating new specimen, before padding back to his desk and tucking back into the book.

The farmer shuffled awkwardly. "What're you reading?" she asked tentatively.

"It's more…what I'm writing…" he answered softly.

"Oh?" Molly asked, intrigued. She took another step forward. "You're writing a book?"

"Um…" the wizard shifted. "…In a way…it's more a…schedule of planets and constellations…"

"Oh! A compilation of your research!" She peered at the yellowed, ink-stained page that featured several detailed sketches of the arrangement of stars in the night sky. "That would take quite some time!"

"…Yes…" he answered. "I have dedicated….quite a lot of time…to my research…"

Molly scanned his work desk with interest, and her eyes came to rest on the weird-looking pen he clutched. "Interesting pen you got there."

"What…? Oh…yes…it's quite old…"

"Um, this might seem like a stupid question," Molly began, "but…I was wondering if you'd mind sketching a copy of that constellation there for me? It looks really nice…"

"…Of course…" he replied softly, tearing a blank page out of the journal. He began copying the constellation that Molly had indicated when there were three sharp knocks on his door. Abruptly Wizard got to his feet and hurried to answer, which the farmer thought strange. He always just told her to come on in…

He opened the door and a tall man with long, flaming red hair burst in. Molly took a step back and stared at him wide-eyed. He stared back at her with fiery eyes, and stood poised aggressively. Although she had never seen any person at all like him in her life, something about his exotic appearance and aura of power stirred her memory.

"Molly…" Wizard began, "I think…you should leave now…"

Her heart pounded painfully. "But—"

"Molly…" he repeated, looking into her eyes and enunciating firmly with effort, "I think that you should go home…"

She felt her eyes welling with tears. He was…kicking her out? "The—the drawing?—"

Wizard stepped briskly over to the desk and grabbed the page, rolling it up. It was the fastest she'd ever seen him move. "Here…take it…now go."

"O-okay." She took the rolled up page and brushed past him toward the door, not making eye contact with either him or the fierce man for fear of bursting into tears. She swept outside and closed the door without a goodbye.

Finn hugged her shoulder comfortingly as she ran home and shut herself in her house. She dropped the page on the floor and fell onto her bed with a sob.

The page fell to the ground with a clatter. Molly sniffed and glanced back at it, wiping her eyes. Finn fluttered over to it and unfolded it. "Hey, look, Molly! He folded up his pen inside it!"

She sniffed again and slowly clambered off the bed to pick up the page and pen. She placed the page carefully on the desk and inspected the ancient relic of a pen.

It was grey and blue, and bulky; a shimmering feather poked out the end and the tip resembled a medieval quill tip. She scribbled on the corner of the parchment, and the ink turned bright pink. She dropped the quill-pen and backed away, certain Wizard had used the same pen to sketch the constellation—which was in navy blue.

Finn was braver. He ran a hand across the ink. "Weird," he said, "it's dry already. Weird for an archaic pen, don't you think?"

"I guess," Molly replied uncomfortably. "But…the wizard wouldn't have anything else than a magic, weirdo pen…right?"

"Right!" the sprite twirled around. "Now, you'll have to go back to return it to him~!"

"Not tonight," Molly said severely. "He kicked me out! What did I do wrong? I—I just—" She sighed and plopped herself down in a chair and stared broodily at the page.

"Well," Finn said, patting her shoulder, "give it back tomorrow, then. At least use it tonight to write in your journal! It's so cool, you can't just use a regular old pen!"

"Okay," she conceded. "Fine. But I don't know if I'll ever have the nerve to go back…"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Finn bubbled. "You won't be able to ignore him for very long!"

Later that night, Molly changed into her blue polka-dot pajama pants and curled up on her ratty bed with her beloved diary. She flipped it open to the next blank page and held the pen poised nervously over the book.

_Winter 7__th__, first year at the farm (still). 10:07 p.m._

Suddenly, the diary trembled in her hands. She yelped and dropped it onto the bed, where it began to softly illuminate itself from within with a pale pink shade. "Aaahhh, Finnnnnn! Help, it's—it's doing something weird!"

Finn looked up from his spot on the table and looked on curiously. "Whoa…that's pretty freaky…"

"I know!"

The diary's light then cut out as if someone had hid an internal switch. Cautiously, Molly poked it with the tip of the pen and leapt back. The diary remained inert.

"Well, try again," Finn encouraged. "I'm right here!"

The farmer picked the journal up gingerly and rested it in her lap. She set the pen against the page, and this time, nothing happened. "Okay," she sighed in relief.

_Winter 7__th__, first year at the farm (still). 10:07 p.m._

_Today, I woke up super late and almost left home without the stupid mushroom I spent so long looking for yesterday! I am honestly such a dolt. But Finn stopped me before I got too far, and I went back and got it. Then I made an absolute idiot of myself in front of HIM when I gave the thing to him. I always yammer way too much! It's so embarrassing. But he said thank you twice, and he actually touched me! It's like, groundbreaking almost, except I'm creeping myself out thinking about it so much. Anyway. I asked him to copy a drawing of a constellation that he'd drawn in his book—isn't he cute?—and he said YES! I wanted to frame it and post it in my room, or something. (Is that freaky? Probably.)_

_Things were going so well. But then this scary-looking, redhaired, buff guy burst in on us and Wizard (I feel so stupid calling him that like it's his name, but HE WON'T TELL ME HIS NAME and I am SOO not asking) and Wizard told me to leave._

_Just like that. Like I didn't belong to be there at all. Like he didn't even care._

_Which he probably doesn't, who am I kidding…he probably knows I'm pathetic and write about him in my diary every day. That crystal ball creeps me out sometimes! He says he can look into people's HEARTS, for crying out loud, and he was so torn up when it went missing…_

_Anyway. I don't even know who this redhead was, but he was apparently way more important than me (then again I'm probably not like this huge important person in Wizard's life, so whatever). He gave me the drawing (after I had to ask for it, I might add! =C) and I got out of there as fast as I could. I couldn't bear to be there another second, if my presence was so unbearable to HIM. _

_But Finn says I'll be back in the morning. Whatever._

_But I also got this weird new pen…I should probably return it sometime…_

Molly yawned widely, suddenly very tired. "I'm going to bed," she announced to Finn. He nodded sleepily in reply as she closed her diary and tucked it away on the shelf. After a moment's thought, she placed the pen neatly in its spine and curled up into bed with a contented sigh. "Goodnight, Finny."

"Nighty-night, Mollylolly."

She switched off the light and was soon fast asleep.

˙·_٠__•● _Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•_٠_·˙

**A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it! But whether or not you did, please leave me a comment or a review. It's my first attempt at something sort of crazy, so if you get a chance, lemme know how it's going! Thanks ^_^**


End file.
